User blog:Danno-048/Sinister
Part 1 Oscorp Norman Osborn stood at the window in his office, staring out into Manhattan. Holding a glass in his hand, he contemplated deeply on the past week. Norman couldn't think how it had come to this; contract withdrawals, doubt in his success, budget cuts, and betrayal within his own board. Though it had taken his whole life to build Oscorp, the most powerful business on the east coast, within a matter of days his dream began to crumble and collapse before him. Taking a small sip, Norman continued to ponder. They were just on the rise of a great project which could have made him not just the most powerful man in the city, but perhaps the country as well. He presented the idea himself to the board of directors, and after winning a majority approval managed to pitch it to an assembly of generals in the United States Military, successfully gaining their interest and support unanimously. Norman put everyone in Oscorp to work, and consumed himself entirely in ensuring that they did what they needed to meet the expectations of their new client. For just a moment, Norman's mind drifted to his son. How much he had missed out in his life... how much Harry likely needed him now. What did his son think about him? He probably knew the answer... and with that, Norman immediately returned to the problem at hand, not bothering to waste the mental resource on something he figured he wasn't able, or going, to fix. Oscorp had come close; working with some of the best minds the Military had to offer, developing technologies and machines in ways unlike the world had ever seen before. Perhaps their greatest work, however, was their top secret project involving human augmentation. The power to control and alter nature for man's needs and desires... this prospect alone would raise Norman above all of the world's leaders. The thought of that power consumed Norman, just as much as his tireless work had. Then, the deadlines approached. As close as Oscorp got, suddenly the trend of successes ceased, and progress came to a terrible crawl. People got desperate, and Norman held everyone for long hours to provide more effort to the cause. It still didn't help, and it slowly started to show to the company's board of directors. They didn't outright show it, but Norman could see it in their eyes; they grew to hate him and his ambition. He just knew it. And now, here he was. Without support, with lacking data, without a finalized series of results, without good projections. Taking one last sip of the drink in his glass, Norman realized he was out of time. The Military generals would be back in a couple of days, and he had very little to give them. When they saw what sort of failure he was made out to be, the Military would make sure he had nothing. He turned around, grimly, back to his desk and reached for the bottle sitting there. He started to refill his glass, but stopped halfway and looked up. There was a man standing at his door, concealed in shadow as the only light Norman had on in his office was the one directly above his desk. He entered so silently that Norman only noticed him when the door to his office closed shut. Norman had a blank look on his face, dumbfounded at this slum who thought he could walk in on Norman's problems, and dump more of them on him. Blinking once, looking a little irritated but otherwise blank-faced, Norman spoke. "Can I help you?" The man remained in the shadows, unmoving from his spot at the door. "Norman Osborn..." he replied, "I've been looking forward to finally meeting you face to face. They say you're the biggest man in New York.. they've certainly got something going for them, you're the head of the Empire of the Empire State." Norman grew annoyed from the flattery. It served only to waste his time. He looked back down at the glass, finished filling it, and put the bottle down. "I hope you are barging into my office to do more than praise me. State your business, or get out." He then took another sip while waiting for the intruder's answer. "Let's talk business, then. You're running out of time. You may have been able to save Oscorp for the past ten years, but you won't be able to save it again. Not this time. As powerful as Norman Osborn is, he won't be able to do much if he presents the most powerful people on the planet with a half-finished science project." Norman grew continuously perplexed by the audacity of this stranger; first praise, now downtalking? And how did he know of Oscorp's status when the Military ties were kept to minimal detail to the public? "You'd best have an explanation for this," he stated, as he drank once more from his glass. "It's no secret, Mr. Osborn," the man continued. "Everyone's talking about it. 'Oscorp provides,' 'Norman is the man of the century,' except now they're just empty words meant as a joke." Norman slowly walked around the desk to stand in front of it, as the stranger continued. "People on the streets are starting to hear the complaints of those working in the factories and offices. Your directors have reached a record peak of dissatisfaction and opposition to your ideals. Give it more time, and Oscorp will no longer be your company." "How do you know it would play out like that?" Norman inquired. The man in the shadows waited a second before replying to add effect. "Because I've seen it. Time and time again, whole corporations collapse and falter when their leaders conflict and tear each other apart. It's simple nature, survival of the fittest... and empires are not fit to be lead with so many heads." The man took a couple steps to his right, still in the darkness. "I took a couple liberties to ensure for myself. You'll forgive me the amount I've stuck my head into your business... after having a few friends of mine take a close look, I have confirmed that Oscorp is high on a hill, high as any man would be proud to have, yet is on its way to roll all the way back down to the bottom." Norman was impressed the depth this man went. Thought stunned that he infiltrated his company, Norman was intrigued by this man's train of thought. He begun to worry less about how he got into his building or knew the company's information, now curious as to his intentions. He put his glass down, and extended his hands to his sides, declaring his emptiness. "I'm beat. It seems you are good at digging out little secrets. You sound like a smart guy... tell me what I need to do." "A company is ruled by many for the good of one," the man in the shadows stepped a little closer, still concealed so Norman couldn't see his face. "An Empire is ruled by one, for the good of many." Norman turned around and went back to the window. He glanced back out at the city lights before him; he always wanted to be the sole person in charge, but could never get there due to policies and regulations. Some part of him knew, however, that realistically, he'd never actually 'rule' the company like he always dreamed of. "Why are you here? What's in it for you?" "Our way of life has grown dull, and stagnant," the man replied. "If someone doesn't do something about it, someone with power, humanity will find a way to destroy itself. I wish to see the Empire that was proclaimed to bring about a new victory rise up from the ashes of this world," the man spoke. "Very few people show promise in making real change on this planet. You have the highest ability, and you have my highest hopes." As Norman turned back to the shadows, he saw in the shade a faint blue light glowing from a tiny capsule, which the stranger had just pulled from his coat pocket and set on another table in the room. "This is going to help. I've had my own team collaborate together to see what could be done to give your company a boost. I could tell you exactly what it does... but I figured a smart man with your talents would much rather see for himself. Nevertheless, it will surely be of use to you." Norman was skeptical. This stranger, though fun to talk to, was still a stranger, who was claiming that his help alone would save the company. He raised an eyebrow at the item in the dark. "What do you want in exchange?" The man softly chuckled to himself, under his breath so Norman did not hear it. "I told you what I want. I want to see Oscorp rise again. When you make your discovery and present the success I'm looking for, I will come see you again." He then turned and walked out of the office without another word. Norman hesitated before walking forward, picking up the gift on his table. It was a tiny vial, twice the size of a standard pill, and still glowed its faint blue light. His scientists were gone at this time, but Norman was a brilliant thinker and engineer himself. He returned to his desk and finished his drink, then grabbed his coat from the chair and proceeded to the laboratory to analyze what could be the key to Oscorp's survival. Category:Blog posts